Signature-machine.



C. F. IVHLLMAN.

SIGNATURE MACHlNE.

APPLICATION man luwte. 1913.

Llm@ Patented 0G15, 26,1915.

2 SHEEITS-SHEET l.

@mZ/Mll.,

C. F. MILLIVIAN.

SIGNATURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JuLv x8. 1913.

Lwwwm. hmmm om. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHET 2.

num/vio@ l Kif/Willing@ automa the controlled roller.

CURTIS F. MILLMAN, 0F WOODSIDE, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR T0 FERDINAND SCHORNO,

' 0F PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY.

SIGNATURE-MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 26, 1915.

Application filed July 18, 1913. Serial No. 779,852.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that-l, CURTIS F. MinLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodside, in the county of Kent and State of Delaware, have invented new and useful Improvements in- Signature-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an automatic signature machine wherein a signature or other desired matter suitably inscribed upon the roller will be transferred through the employed mechanism to a sheet of paper. or the like, the paper inscribing element being a pen, pencil or other appropriate type. t

. The main object of the present invention is the provision of an automatic signature machine in which a perfect reproduction of the signature or other writing upon the controlled roller is obtained, the mechanism acting in perfect accord with any inscr'iptionon rlhe invention in its preferred form. of details will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa plan of the improved machine with the casing for the operating parts in section. Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the same. Fig.3 is a section on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the roller. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the transferring mechanism detached. Fig. 7 is a plan partly in section showing means for elevating the .inscribing implement during the inoperative movement of the machin'e.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, the improved signature machine is mounted upon a base 1 transversely of which is arranged a fixed rack 2, and rods 3 and 4. Mounted for movement upon the base is aplatform 5 preferably though not necessarily supporting an inclosing casing 6 within which the operating parts are arranged. Fixed upon the platform is a threaded rod 7 on which is mounted a control roller 8 said roller being preferably of wholly cylindrical form with the ends 9 thereof centrally formed with threaded apertures to coperate with the threads of the rod 7 whereby said roller when revolved is caused to travel longitudinally of the rod. One end of the roller is provided with an annular gear rack 10 meshing with an elongated gear rod 11, the ends of the rods being rotatably mounted on the platform, as shown. The rod is in mesh with the driving gear 12 the axle 13 of which is suitably mounted in' an upright secured to the platform and is provided with a pinion 14 operatively engaged by a pinion 15 secured upon one end of the shaft 16 rotatably supported on the platform, the opposite end of the shaft being provided with a gear 17 which extends through the opening 18 formed in the platform and engages the i rack 2 on the base. From this construction it will be obvious that the rotation of the shaft 16 will move the platform transversely of the base and at the same time rotate the control roller 8, the connection of the latter with the threaded rod 7 moving said control roller longitudinally of the platform. The

platform is further provided with grooved rollers 19 at its under side arranged to cooperate with the rods 3 and 4 to reduce the friction of movement of the platform in its travel transversely of the base.

Supported upon the platform 5 by loose joints 20, 21 are fingers 22, 23, which fingers pass beneath the control roller in spaced relation4 and are connected by loose joints '24, 25 respectively with an arm 26 which arm is of double right angle' shape, and loosely supported on the platform at 27, as shown. The connection of the fingers 22 is at the free end of the arm, while the connection of the fingers 23 is intermediate the ends on the side of the pivot 27 opposite the connection of the fingers 22. The free end of the arm 26 projects through an opening in the casing 6 and is provided at the free terminal with means 28 for supporting a pen, pencil, or other scribing implement. The fingers 22 and 23 are provided with needle points or rollers 37 designed to follow the indentation formed by the inscription on the control roller.

Pivotally supported on the casing is a lever 29 the free end of which is formed to provide a slotted guideway 30 in which the arm 26 is slidably supported. Rotatably mounted upon the threaded rod 7 immediately adjacent one side wall of the casing 6 is a gear 31 adapted to mesh with and be driven by the gear rod 11. On the inner face of the gear are formed track-ways 32 and 33, the former being the control trackway and the latter the return trackway. The trackway 32 is necessarily of undulating formation, while the trackway 33 is circular. The trackways are generally concentric with the gear periphery and terminating in pockets 34 common to both trackways, gates 35 being'arranged in the respective pockets so that upon reaching the terminal of one trackway and riding into the'pocket the element so traveling, as a pin 36 projecting from the arm 29, will be compelled to return in the other trackway. Therefore in movement of the gear in one direction the pin will at all times travel in the trackway 32 and control the arm 26 in accordance with the formation of such trackway the reverse movement of the gear, which is that movement incident to the return of the parts to normal position after inscribing a signature causing the pin to travel in the trackway 33.

In the use of the machine. a signature to be duplicated is transferred to the surface of a control roller 8 by tracing an original signature through the manual manipulation of the pen 28. In this tracing the signature is duplicated upon the roller, and a corresponding trackway 32 formed on the surface of the gear, the indentations in the trackway corresponding to the vertical movement of the pen in imparting to the pen the heavy and light strokes of the original signature, as well as the periods and intervening spaces during which the pen does not touch the paper. Subsequent to the indentation of the roller 8 and gear 31 it will be obvious that in the rotation of the tracing the pen will retrace its steps in exact accordance with the inscribed lines on the roller 8 and with the controlled indentations of the track 32. guided or actuated in its horizontal movement across the paper by one of the points 37 projecting from the arm 23 and is similarly guided by the pin 36 projecting from the arm 29. The slot or trackway 32 controls the movement of the pen to and from the surface of the paper, making the necessary light and heavy strokes, periods, and spaces, and having reached the limit of the trackway 32 the pin during the return to The pen is' normal position travels in the trackway 33,

or in other words, travels under the guidance of the trackway 33, hence, the pen is fully elevated from the paper during such complete movement.

It is, of course, to be understood that thel lines initially inscribed upon the roller and gear' by the tracing of the original signature to be duplicated form merely an impression from which a metallic cast or the like is secured which metallic impression forms a permanent record which can be used at any time with the machine for the duplication of that particular signature.

What is claimed is 1. An automatic signature machine' including a platform, an inscribed control roller operative thereon, means for moving the control roller longitudinally of the platform, lingers following the inscription on the roller and an inscribing implement holding arm operated by said fingers.

2. An automatic signature machine including a platform, an inscribed control roller operative thereon, -means for moving the control roller longitudinally of the platform, lingers following the inscription on the roller, an inscribing implement holding arm operated by said fingers, means controlling said arm to vary the pressure of the inscribingI implement upon the surface being written on.

3. An automatic signature machine including a platform, an inscribed control roller operative thereon, means for moving the control roller longitudinally of the platform, fingers following the inscription on the roller, an inscribing implement holding arm operated by said fingers, means contro'- ling vsaid arm to vary the pressure of the inscribing implement `upon the surface being written on, last named means being formed to elevate said arm to hold the scribing implement out of contact with said surface.

4. A signature machine including a base,- a platform mounted thereon to move transversely thereof, an inscribed control roller, means for moving said roller longitudinally of the platform, simultaneously with the movement of the platform transverse the base, fingers operated by the inscription on the platform, an implement holding arm mounted on the platform and connected to the fingers, and means for varyin the pressure of said arm with respect to t e surface being operated upon.

5. A machine as characterized, comprising a marking pen, a paper holder disposed in juxtaposed relation to said pen, a plurality of cam-shaped members individualized in contour; and means operativel connecting said cam-shaped members an said meaeee W pen to produce a composite eect on said means embodying a plurality of cam mempen of tracing a character with variable bers corresponding to the character being pressure. formed.

6. A machineas characterized, compris- In testimon vwhereof aBX my signature 5 ing a marking pen, a support thereic'or2 a 4i111 presence o two Witnesses.

feed table for holding paper in o eratlve relation to said pen, and means or rela- CURTIS F MILLMANvtively shifting sald pen and table to impart Witnesses: to said aper a line variable in intensity CHAs. DU JEON'r RIDGELY, 10 and con orming to a written character, said OSCAR W. AmEN. 

